Electrical connector.



A. F. EsLEn.

ELECTRICAL con'uecon.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 2.19II.

1,285,962. Pmend Nov. 26,1918.

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' INWENTHR;

A. F. ESLER.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 2.19I- 1,285,962. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

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ALBERT F. ESLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Application lcd July 2, 1917.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. ESLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electrical may be easily made or broken and when made will be held against accidental breaking.

'Io these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an interior view of the invention with theblade connector removed;

Fig. 2 shows an 'end view of the box or casing with the blade connector;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the box or casing;

Fig. 4 is a vert-ical section through the box or casing showing the blade connector in position; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the blade connector.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, 1 indicates a box or casing preferably of rectangular formation and having a hinged closure 2. The bottom of the boxor casing-has integral lugs 3 serving to support an insulator plate 4 in spaced relation from the bottom, the insulator plate being secured to the projections or wall of the casing inwhch an opening 11 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Serial No. 178,199.

provided through which the conductor may be passed to fit within the socket 10. The conductor member or plate 6 is provided in proximity to the terminal socket 10 with a transverse rib 12, the outer or upper face of which is at a slight angle to the flat contact face of the member 6. Secured to the inclined upper face of the rib 12 is a plurality of spring finger contacts, in this instance, formed in pairs, each pair being formed by a copper plate 13 and slit at 14 to provide two fingers. To give resiliency to these fingers, each pair of contacts has secured beneath the same a plate 17 slit like the copper plate 13 to provide two spring fingers 18. At the end of each contact finger a copper terminal or casting 15 is arranged, said terminal hav# ing a port-ion extending under the sheet steel portion and secured to the finger by rivets which pass through both sheet metal pieces.

The sheet metal portion 18 is defiected between the castings 15 and the rib 12 to give greater resiliency to the Contact finger. Supported in spaced relation to the conductor 6 is a bridge piece 19 which is secured at its ends by screws 20 to extensions 21 on opposite sides of the conductor 6. This bridge niece has a plurality of contact lingers secured thereto and formed similarly to the fingers which are secured to the rib 12.

The contact fingers of the bridge piece 19 and of the rib 12 are adapted to receive beneath them the other connector member 20a .preferably in the form of a copper blade or plate having a cross piece 21a secured to one end thereof by bolts 22, said cross piece having a copper terminal extension 23 formed with a socket 24 at its free end for the reception of an electrical conductor. The copper extension 23 may be surrounded by an insulating handle 25 by which the plate 2On may be fitted beneath the Contact fingers against the flat upper surface of the conductor member 6. To the end of permitting the introduction of the plate or switch member 2Oa into electrical connection with the conductor member 6, the box 1 has that wall thereof opposite the wall provided with an opening 11 formed with an opening 26, said opening extending from a point in proximity to the insulator l to the open side of the box, said opening being sufficiently wide to permit the introduction of the plate 2Oa therethrough. In order that the "current will notfbe conducted to the box l during the introduction or withdrawal of the plate or plug 20a, the box is provided with insulating pieces 27 securedby screws 28 to the inner faces of the boX l on opposite sides of the opening 26. A cover is also provided with an insulating strip 29 opposite said opening 26. So as to direct the plate 20a beneath the contact fingers the conductor 6 is provided adjacent the opening with two guide pieces 30 near opposite side edges of thev member G. After the blade 20'LL has been directed `by the guide pieces 30, it passes beneath the bridge 19 until its free end engages with the face of the rib l2, said rib thus acting as a stop to prevent any further inner movement of the contact or plug 20a. About the time it is stopped by the rib 12, the inner end of the blade 20a passes over and behind a shoulder 31, and in this wz y is locked to the conductor member 6, the spring contact fingers serving to hold the blade 2Oa behind the shoulder 3l. Release of the blade 20 is effected by pulling laterally on the handle 25 to bring the inner end off the blade beyond the edge of the shoulder 81, after which the handle may 'be pulled in the direction of its length to withdraw the blade 2Oa from en gagei'nent with the conductor 6. To prevent too 'much strain being placed upon the contact fingers, when the lateral movement of the Contact member: takes place to release said blade, there is provided a rod 32 connecting the guide pieces 30y and acting as a stop to limit the outward movement of the blade 20a.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided an electrical connector adapted for currents of high capacity. The two connector members of the connector are so formed that sufficient contact is provided between them` to, prevent sparlc ing. The removable connector member 1s engaged on one face throughout its entire area, while the other face is engaged by 'a plurality of spring contact fingers so formed that each engages over a large surface of the removable terminal, the. engagement being such that it tends to hold the removable connector member tightly on the opposite side of said terminal. The spring contact lingers also act to hold the removable connector member in interlocking connection with the stationary connector member. Provision is made whereby the removable connector member is guided under the Contact lingers, some of which are bridged over a. portion of the stationary connector member.

lhat I claim as my inventionand desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A connector of the class described comprising a plate insulator, a connector member secured to one face of the plate insulator and provided with a fiat Contact face and with guide flanges on opposite sides of the contact face, said connector member having a terminal at one end of the contact Jface and having supported thereon spring contact fingers electrically connected to the member and lying over and in spaced relation to the fiat contact face, and a second connector member embodying a blade adapted to have one face thereof cooperate with the fiat contact face while the opposite face of the blade is engaged by and held to t-he flat face by the spring contact fingers.

1n a connector of the class described, two connector members, one comprising a conductor having a fiat contact face, said conductor also having a rib at one end of the face, spring contact fingers supported by and electrically connected to said rib and overhanging the fiat contact face; and the other of said connector members comprising a flat blade arranged to contact with the flat` face and to be engaged by the spring contact fingers, the said rib acting as a stop for said blade.

8. In a connector of the class described, an insulator,y two connector members, one of which is secured to the insulator and comprises a conductor having a fiat contact face, and having also two guide flanges proj ecting from opposite sides of the face,y and spring contact lingers supported by said connector member above said flat contact face and electrically connected with said conductor; and the other connector member comprising a flat blade arrangedv to pass between the guide ianges to engage beneath the contact lingers.

4L. 1n a connector of the class described, an insulator, two connector members one of which is secured to the insulator and comprises a conductor having a flat contact face, and having also two guide iianges proj ecting from opposite sides of the flat face and spring contact ngers supported by said connector above said face and electrically connected to said conductor; and the other connector member comprising a flat blade arranged to pass between the guide iianges to engage beneath the contact ngers, and a stop connecting the guide flanges to coperate with the blade to prevent undue strains .on the contact fingers.

5. 1n a connector of the class described, an insulator,l a pair of connector members one of' which comprises av conductor having a flat face, a bridge supported by said connector member in spaced relation ,to said face, and electrically connected at its ends to said connector, and spring contact fingers carried by and electrically connected to the bridge; and the other of said connector members comprising a blade arranged kto pass between the fingers and the Contact face and under the bridge. i

6. In a connector of the class described, an insulares a connector member Seel-ted t0 011e face of the insulator and provided with a fiat contact face, with a rib at one end of the face, with guide flanges on opposite sides of thev face, with a bridge extending across said face and electrically connected to said connector at its opposite ends, and with two series of spring contact ngers, one series projecting over the fiat face from the rib, and the other series projecting over the flat face from the bridge; and a second connector member formed with a flat blade arranged to pass between the guides and under the spring contact fingers to be held by the latter in contact with the flat contact face.

7. ln a connector of the class described, connector members one comprising a conductor having a Contact face and spring fingers supported over the face; and the other comprising a blade arranged to pass between the fingers and the contact face to engage both the latter, and a shoulder on the first-named connector member behind which the blade is held by the spring contact finger to retain the blade in engagement with the first named connector member.

8. In a connector of the class described an insulator, two connector members one of which is secured to the insulator and comprises a conductor member having a flat contact face, guides at opposite sides of said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the contact face, and spring fingers supported over said contact face; and the other of said connector members comprising a blade arranged to pass between the guides to engage with said contact fingers and the flat contact face; and a shoulder on the first-named member with which said second-named connector member is interlocked by the spring contact lingers.

9. In a connector of the class described, two connector members, one of which comprises a conductor member having a fiat contact face, guides at opposite sides of said contact face, and spring fingers supported over said contact face; and the other of said connector members comprising a blade arranged to pass between the guides to engage with said Contact fingers and the flatv contact face; a shoulder on the firstnamed connector member with which said secondnamed connector member is held interlocked by the spring contact fingers, and a stop rod connecting the guides of the lirst-men tioned connector member to prevent undue strain on the spring contact fingers when *Y the second-mentioned connector member is moved to become disengaged from the shoulder. p

ALBERT F. ESLER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

